A Culturally Proficient Ally

Cultural proficiency is not an end state, but an ongoing process. A culturally proficient person acknowledges both individual and group differences. She or he does not walk around wondering or complaining, “Why can’t they be more like us.” Rather people striving toward cultural proficiency welcome and embrace opportunities to understand themselves as individuals, while at the same time embracing the opportunity to learn. Think of the process of striving toward cultural proficiency as being along the following continuum.

Cultural Destructiveness

the elimination of other people’s culture, either on an individual level or on a group level. Extremes include genocide and enslavement. Yet English-only policies or “renaming” a student because you cannot pronounce his or her name is culturally destructive.

“This is America, and everyone speaks English.”

Cultural Incapacity

the belief in the superiority of one’s own culture and behavior such that it disempowers another’s culture. Restrictive immigration laws, overt biases, and discriminatory hiring practices are culturally incapacitating.

“I didn’t know she was Mexican. She doesn’t look Mexican to me.”

Cultural Blindness

acting as if the cultural differences one sees do not matter, or not recognizing that there are differences among and between cultures.

“When a student walks in, I don’t see color or ability or gender. I only see a student.”

Cultural Pre-competence

an awareness of the limitations of one’s own skills or an organization’s practices when interacting with other cultural groups. This can happen when underrepresented groups are recruited to a campus/company/organization, but no support is extended, nor is there an effort made to learn more about the differences between groups.

“We need a Korean vice principal to help us with the Korean students.”